This invention relates generally to ball retrievers, and particularly to retrievers of the type adapted to retrieve and store tennis balls from the surfaces of tennis courts.
Retrievers have heretofore been devised for lifting and storing golf balls from supporting terrain. These devices which are exemplified by those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,203,170, 3,316,008 and 3,558,170, have generally taken the form of a tube adapted to be placed over the golf ball and a set of resilient arms mounted within the tube adjacent the tube inlet for radial movement as a golf ball is forced therebetween up into the tube. Often a bag is tied to an outlet portion of the tube to receive retrieved balls for storage.
Though retrievers of the prior art have functioned well in retrieving and storing golf balls, they have met with only limited success when adapted through dimensional alterations, to retrieve and store tennis balls. A principle cause for such limited success with tennis balls has been attributed to the diverse structure of tennis and golf balls. Whereas golf balls are relatively rigid, tennis balls are quite flexible. Where the surface or skin of golf balls is smooth that of tennis balls is woolly or fuzzy.
In forcing the resilient arms of prior art golf ball retrievers radially apart tennis balls must be momentarily deformed from several sides, simultaneously which action places substantial stresses upon the ball that may adversely affect bounce characteristics. This problem may be alleviated to a degree through the use of springs of less strength. Small springs however are difficult to mount and regulate. Their use also increases failure rates necessitating frequent spring replacements. In addition, the forcing of tennis balls over the radially biased arms tends to rub off some of the wooliness or fuzziness of the balls at their points of arm contact and yet not at other portions of the ball skin. This action leaves the tennis balls with uneven fuzziness which further degrades their operative characteristics.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved ball retriever.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved tennis ball retriever and storage device.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tennis ball retriever which does not injure the resilience of the ball nor the texture of its skin.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tennis ball retriever with storage means that is easily removable from the retriever itself.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a tennis ball retriever of relatively simple and economic construction and one which possesses a high degree of ruggedness.